To Save A Life
by darkmatterwolf
Summary: Now within the safety of Beorn's house, the company has the chance to relax and get some rest. Thorin, however, stays awake and is confronted by Bilbo because of this. Since they are alone, Thorin decides to delve deeper and ask just why Bilbo risked his life to save him. Certain explanations come out and a small promise is made. Bilbo/Thorin Bromance


**Author's Note:  
This story takes place right after the ending of the first Hobbit movie. It delves into what occurs in the book after that scene where the eagles drop off the company. I take elements from the movie when writing this, so Thorin has been injured by Azog by this point (unlike the book).  
There is a slight bromance between Thorin and Bilbo in this story that can ****_possibly_**** be the beginning of some sort of romance if you wish to see it that way. Though, this is more of a friendly relationship by this point.  
And yes, what Bilbo and Thorin say to one another is rather ironic if you've read the book and know just what occurs later on concerning Thorin... :c  
Hope you enjoy~ Just had to get some Hobbit feels off my chest. XD**

By the time Gandalf had led the dwarves to the house of a skin-changer known as Beorn, Thorin was more than relieved to finally have a place to relax. Though he'd never admit it, the wounds he had received from his confrontation with Azog were starting to bother him. The dwarven prince was actually considering checking the skin under his armor for any cuts that had managed to get through and needed mending, but never would he actually do that in the presence of his comrades; he certainly didn't want them worrying too much about him when he had already given them quite a scare. So, when he finally was given the chance to sit down- no matter how confused he was about getting served dinner by dogs strutting about on their hind legs- he gladly took it.

"Thorin," came a familiar voice over his shoulder as he messed with the blankets on the bed provided to him that night. Beorn had just left, giving the dwarves (and hobbit) their own makeshift beds lining the walls of a grand hall within his house in the forest. Balin was standing right behind the prince and kept his voice low while the other dwarves in the room murmured tiredly amongst themselves. "You never did give anyone the chance to look over your wounds before we set out again. Why don't you let me take a look?"

Thorin's gaze flashed toward the other dwarf briefly before he returned to fussing with the blankets. "I appreciate your concern," he started, his voice bold despite his exhaustion, "but I'm perfectly fine. If I had wanted you to tend to them, I would've asked long before now."

Balin was, of course, certain that _at least_the final part of Thorin's statement was false. The leader of their company would never deliberately ask for help. Either way, he decided to let it go. In most cases, he would've argued for a little while (until he realized Thorin was too stubborn to give in), but like most, Balin was just as tired and wanted as much sleep as he could possibly get. So, with a simple nod and a pat on Thorin's shoulder, he returned to his own bed quietly. Thorin watched him, however, and as his eyes traced Balin's steps, they flashed over the shorter frame of the hobbit.

To his surprise, Bilbo had actually been looking in his direction with curiosity, and immediately turned around with a flustered noise when their eyes met. The dwarven prince was still completely perplexed by every action their burglar had ever performed along their journey. It was as if he was a puzzle, and Thorin could not for his life figure him out. In a way, it was rather frustrating.

After realizing he had been staring with narrowed eyes at Bilbo's back for quite some time, the dwarf hastily turned around and took off his armor. He rested the spare bits of clothes that were uncomfortable to sleep in on the ground alongside his bed, then slid under the blankets with a sigh. For quite some time, his ears picked up the whispers of dwarves that were near each other (specifically Fili and Kili, who he was tempted to tell to be quiet), but it wasn't long before the room fell into silence. By the time snores could be heard, Thorin was certain that most- if not all- of his companions were asleep. That was his cue to get up.

Slowly and quietly, the dwarf rose up from his bed, swinging his legs over the side and standing up with caution. He slipped his boots on before walking across the room and toward the veranda. Quite regrettably, he could not actually go outside into the night air under the strict orders of Beorn, so retreating to the veranda off to the side of the room was his only choice. He was rather relieved when he made it onto the porch without much trouble at all; surely all his companions were in deep slumber from the exhaustion that ran through them.

Once he was in the veranda, Thorin took a seat and delicately lifted up his shirt. His chin was pressed against his chest while he searched for any open wounds, only finding a rather nasty bruising along the bottom of his ribcage that was surely from the warg's jaws. He ran a finger experimentally over the blue skin of that area, brows furrowing in the slightest when he felt the pain emanating from it. There wasn't much that could be done for such a wound; the best option would be to quite simply let it heal on its own. Thorin assumed the injury would be hurting a _lot_more if he had actually broken any ribs, decided that wasn't the case. Though, he didn't have much of a chance to contemplate it when he heard a sudden, soft voice calling his name over his shoulder that caused him to hastily let his shirt fall back down.

The dwarven prince almost turned around completely in his seat to see who had been awakened, blinking with confusion several times when he realized who it was. "Mr. Baggins," he greeted and rested an elbow on his knee. "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"I was actually about to ask you the same thing," the hobbit replied with crossed arms. His deep brown eyes were scanning Thorin up and down as if searching for something he was hiding. "Shouldn't you be resting after… well, after the other day?"

"I have gone several days with plenty of wounds and little rest before," Thorin murmured. His gaze flashed up toward the moon that hung in the sky, observing it with interest. "I'll be fine."

Bilbo nodded several times and began to chew on his lip. He gazed over his shoulder at the sleeping dwarves in the room behind him, wondering if anyone else had been woken up because of them. "You never did let anyone check your wounds," the hobbit tentatively continued, turning back to face the prince who was now avoiding eye contact, "did you?"

Thorin didn't move or make a sound for a good while. He continued to stare rather intently at the forest beyond the boundaries of the house, looking as though something very important was occurring out there that Bilbo was blind to. The hobbit followed his gaze, peering fondly at the flowers right outside the windows that he had already admired the day before. When the silence continued to grow into an uncomfortable plague, though, he decided to speak up, again. "Y'know… if you need someone to look them over…" his voice trailed off and he let out a slight chuckle when he continued. "I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but I could probably-"

"No."

Bilbo's brows rose rather abruptly at the firm reply. He let out a flustered sigh before awkwardly clearing his throat and rubbing his hands together (that were strangely really cold, he figured out). He opened and closed his mouth soundlessly for a few moments, and was very glad when the dwarf decided to say more rather than making the poor hobbit try to hold a conversation.

"I already looked them over myself," Thorin commented, finally returning his gaze to the burglar. "Just a bit of bruising… nothing I can't handle."

"R-Right," Bilbo squeaked, immediately making a face of bewilderment at the noise that had escaped from his throat. He instantly swallowed and tried again. "Well, I'm glad it's nothing serious."

Thorin observed his companion for a few silent moments before nodding slowly and returning his attention to the windows. He mindlessly cracked his fingers, not even noticing the grimace that came from Bilbo at the noise that split through the air. The hobbit was nervously tugging at his clothes, now, rather unsure of what else there was to say. Granted, Thorin wasn't making it particularly easy to talk.

"You wouldn't mind if I sat here with you…?" Bilbo asked and gestured to a seat beside the dwarf. "I haven't really been able to sleep, so I find no real point in attempting at it now that I'm up."

"Go ahead," Thorin replied, offering the hobbit a small smile and nod.

Bilbo was actually a bit taken aback by how welcoming the leader of the company was in that moment. Then again, he wasn't sure if anything should surprise him after he had received a hug only a day or two ago from the proud and strict dwarf. Nonetheless, he returned a grin of his own and climbed into the chair alongside Thorin, observing the night just as the prince was. Again, a silence fell over them, but this one was a lot less awkward. In fact, it was rather comfortable. Bilbo would've been pleased to have just sat there for the rest of the night without saying anything else, though the dwarf changed those plans when he finally spoke again.

"Why did you save me?" His voice was low and quiet, almost as if he was talking to himself. He looked down at his lap and at his rough hands, lips forming a line.

A noise of befuddlement came from Bilbo's mouth long before he could actually form words. "I… why wouldn't I?"

"I treated you like you were nothing throughout our journey," Thorin continued, his gaze rising slightly. "I kept pushing you down and making you feel like you didn't belong. How did all of that make you even remotely want to save my life?"

Bilbo stared at his companion blankly, then shrugged and faced forward. His lips parted to speak, but before a single noise could come out, Thorin had already cut him off. The dwarven prince had now curled his fingers into fists, though they were relaxed and gentle.

"Even from the start I blatantly revealed how little hope I had in you. Why did you even come?"

"I told you, didn't I?" the hobbit responded and leaned back. "I know I have a home that I can go back to. You don't. If I'm given the chance to help someone get their home back- someone who deserves their home that has been taken from them- then I'll take it. I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do if my home was taken from me." For a brief moment, a smile crossed his face, thinking back to the time when his home was full of disrespectful dwarves. At that time, it surely _felt _like his home had been taken from him, in a different way.

"You knew nothing about me at that point, though." Thorin cast a sideways glance to the burglar. "What made you think I deserved my home when you didn't have a single clue concerning who I was? From the information given to you, you could've just assumed I was nothing but a dwarf wanting gold."

"Perhaps," Bilbo said with a lame shrug. "In fact, I had all intentions to _not _go along. We hobbits prefer the safety and comfort of our home." He nervously began to twiddle his thumbs, eying the floor at his feet. "But… that night when I heard you and the others singing that old tune… it wasn't just a meaningless song, and I could tell. You put so much emotion behind it and I... I wanted to help you, I guess."

Thorin turned his head completely to look at the shorter hobbit, intrigued by the explanation escaping his lips. The eyes of Bilbo rose a bit when he felt the prince's stare, and he let a gentle grin curl across his reddened face. "Then, when I woke up the next morning, I was under the impression you'd all still be in my house," he continued. "I was surprised when you weren't and figured that if you had left without me, you didn't want me there, anyway.

"But, I decided to try to find you guys in the small chance that I _would _be of some help to you. I knew from the start that you didn't like me and doubted me, but I also understood why you did." The hobbit folded his hands in his lap and observed the flowers bathed in moonlight. "Again, I knew how much this quest meant to you… and I realized how frustrating it must've been to have an amateur as your burglar. You were probably worried I'd mess everything up and therefore prevent you from getting your home back."

Complete and utter bewilderment was running through the dwarven prince by this point. He never knew that Bilbo Baggins had put so much thought into the quest- into the motives behind Thorin's behavior. Shame fell over him upon thinking back to how rude he had been to the very being that seemed to understand him more than several others.

"From that point, I was determined to prove to you that, despite being incapable of a lot of things asked of me, I was still willing to help you. I became even more determined to help when Balin told me more about your past and how much you had been through." Bilbo looked back at Thorin sympathetically. "After all you had gone through, I _wanted _to become the burglar you needed. I couldn't settle with letting you down when this meant so much to you."

"Bilbo…" Thorin finally replied, a rather pained look crossing his face from learning all the information. "I'm so sorry. I should've given you more of a chance-"

"No," the hobbit interrupted and raised a hand to silence his companion. "Your strictness made me fight more to prove myself. You probably helped more with your attitude than you would've if you had been nicer."

"You shouldn't have had to prove yourself to me to accept you, though," the prince murmured after releasing an exasperated sigh. "I should've been thankful from the start that you joined us… it was brave in itself to leave your home and go on a journey with a bunch of dwarves you don't know. I should've figured out from that point just how much you were willing to help."

"It doesn't matter." Bilbo stifled a yawn with his hand and leaned back, brows suddenly furrowing. "Though, I _do _wish you hadn't been so dense."

Shock crossed Thorin's face at the insult, half-tempted to snap right back at the hobbit for being so rude. Thankfully, he merely released a disgruntled noise and replied with, "What?"

"When it came to confronting the white orc," the hobbit continued, looking at Thorin sternly. "What made you think you could face him all on your own? Are you really _so _proud that you couldn't ask for a bit of help?"

"No," he growled, stubbornly glaring out at the calm night. "I have my own issues with Azog that neither you nor anyone else should get dragged into-"

"But we _were_ dragged into it, weren't we? When you went out there and basically got yourself killed, did you think for even a single moment about how we'd feel if you _had _been killed?"

"I'd risk my life to save any one of you. If I hadn't done something, he would've killed us all."

"I'd prefer that over watching you die," Bilbo replied, his lips pursing in the slightest. "You nearly gave us all heart-attacks when you performed that stunt of yours. We'd be lost and grieving if something had happened to you."

"You almost got yourself killed, too," Thorin countered bluntly. "Why would you simply throw yourself in front of Azog when you have little to no skill in fighting?"

"So, you expected me to just stand and _watch _your head get cut off?"

The dwarf released an irritated grunt and shifted slightly in his seat. "Just… don't do it again, okay? I don't want anyone dying because of me."

"You said you'd risk your life to save us, right?" the hobbit continued, raising a brow. "Well, we'd all do the same for you just like we'd all do the same for each other. It goes both ways."

"Yes, but not everyone in this group is a fighter." Thorin looked pointedly at Bilbo and frowned. "You can't just mindlessly throw yourself in front of an enemy and think they'll back away because you're protecting someone. Sure, you have bravery in you… but bravery means nothing if you don't use your head."

"This lesson is coming from the dwarf who threw himself in front of the white orc and almost got killed," Bilbo murmured under his breath, ignoring the irritated glance he received from the dwarf beside him.

"Just promise me you won't do something stupid and get killed in attempt to protect me," Thorin sighed, hand on his forehead. "I'd never forgive myself if you were to lose your life doing what you did the other day." _I cannot guarantee his safety…_ The prince raised his head again, thinking back to the words he had whispered into Gandalf's ear. _Maybe I can..._

Bilbo exhaled slowly through his teeth, then threw his hands up and nodded. "Fine, fine. I'll use my brain a bit more next time I consider saving someone's life. How does that sound?" The hobbit suddenly turned to Thorin with a smirk. "Though, you could just take it as me repaying you for saving my life back in the mountains."

Thorin had almost forgotten about that moment. It had been yet another time when he had informed Bilbo of how much of a burden he was… and it had ultimately caused the hobbit to highly consider leaving. He was now more than thankful that Bilbo had stayed. Without him, the dwarf was sure he'd be dead.

"Thank you," the prince murmured quite simply, eyes meeting Bilbo's with a grateful smile. "You may have been completely insane, but I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't done that."

Bilbo seemed rather stunned by the sudden change in attitude. He returned to making baffled noises and stuttered in attempt to grasp onto a meaningful response. In the time it took him to try to figure something out, Thorin stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, just don't do it again. I wouldn't be able to properly live with myself if your life was lost protecting me."

The hobbit looked up at the leader of the company, eyes brimming with strong emotion and loyalty toward him. He rose to his feet, as well, yet still had to look up to address the tall dwarf. "I won't just as long as you promise me you won't go off and get yourself killed, either."

Thorin smirked, giving Bilbo's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll do what I can to keep that promise," he murmured softly and let his hand return to his side. The dwarf stepped out at an angle to get around the hobbit, making his way back toward the room where the others were sleeping soundly. He hesitated briefly to look over his shoulder. Bilbo was following closely behind, and dipped his head as if saying a 'good night' before returning to his bed on the other side of the room.

The dwarven prince turned to his own sleeping quarters and plucked his feet out of his boots. He slipped under the covers and rested comfortable on his side, gazing at the back of Bilbo's head who had laid down facing the wall. Surely enough, the hobbit still was quite a puzzle to Thorin. Even though he had figured out a few things that had gone on in his little head, several questions still remained a mess within his thoughts. He'd leave the answers for another day, though. Some would likely answer themselves throughout the rest of their quest. Even beyond that, Thorin Oakenshield was still certain there would be much more to learn once their journey was over, and he fully intended on remaining a close friend once all was said and done.

He was determined to keep his promise, if only to have the chance to get to know Bilbo Baggins even better.


End file.
